2B9 Vasilek (Cornflower)

History

Mortars have been the backbone of the military for decades as a battlefield weapon. In 1970, the Soviet Army introduced a new heavy "mortar", the 2B9 "Vasilek" - or "Cornflower". The system fires 82mm shells with a range of 4,270 meters and a rate of fire of up to 120 rounds per minute.

With the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the weapon passed on to the modern Russian army as well as the Armenian and Ukrainian armies. A foreign customer for the product became Syria.

For maneuverability, the 2B9 is placed on a robust two-wheeled split trailer system, allowing for towing using a mobile vehicle or extensive lateral adjustments by the crew (minimum of four to six people). Aiming device allows for more precise shots with up to 3x magnification. The launch tube can be loaded through its breech assembly or down from the muzzle. Tube mounting hardware maintains an inherent 60-degree lateral span and -1 to +85-degree elevation span on either side of the center.

Each 82mm shell weighs 7 pounds. A recoil mechanism is installed around the launch tube to deal with the forces at work. Before launch, a circular base plate was lowered, lifting the unit off the wheel frame, while the rear of the system hung from the arms of the split frame.

The original Vasilek model was the 2B9 series, followed in 1983 by a modernized model known as the "2B9M". A vehicle-mounted form emerged in 1988 for the MT-LB Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), which greatly expanded the tactical value of the vehicle and weapon - a very useful combination for indirect fire support roles.

The Vasilek weapon has been used since its inception, only during the fighting in the Syrian civil war (2011-????) (rebels and government forces) and the Ukrainian civil war in the Donbas region (2014-???? ) (again by rebels and government forces).

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes